Star
by amichan2
Summary: A dark memory returns. An ancient grudge continues. Old friends return as evil itself is revealed as the ultimate enemy that the Sakura Cards Mistress must face. Sakura and Syaoran must face the world of magic once more.
1. Darkness

_Star ~ Chapter 1 ~ Darkness_

It was a horrible, dark, nightmare. That place in her dream was glowing some sort of evil. The faint, dark visions flashed across her mind's magical eyes, terrifying her with pictures of things to come. Images too gruesome to be seen by human eyes.

Although she couldn't see the blurry pictures clearly, she could make out a dark light.

Strange...

Light should be... light... bright... good... 

This light was a dark, evil, reddish-black. Its energy level was intense. IT was powerful... and evil...

The light flickered and flared.

And she was afraid.

Curious, she sent out a light pink band of her magic. She didn't dare send too much; only a small, thin band. The pink ribbon extended slowly and gently touched the dark spot of light. Both her magic and the light flamed up uncontrollably.

The pain was unbearable. As the fire burned, slowly eating away her life, she opened her mouth to scream. Nothing came out.

"My child," a sweet, but evil voice said, "You are destined... destined..." 

Sakura screamed. Her voice ringing through empty space.

~~ ~~~

The young junior-highschooler scooped up a spoonful of her oatmeal and absently sent it to her mouth. She muttered thoughtfully to herself about the properties and characteristics of the power in her dream. She hadn't told Kero-chan yet. She wanted to figure this out first.

"Black," she muttered decidedly under her breath, "with an evil tinge of dark-red," She tapped her spoon against the edge of her bowl, "... heart," she punctuated the words decidedly with accented clinks of her spoon against her bowl, "... extreme, intense heat," she winced, remembering the pain, "and it burned!" She banged her spoon extra hard against the bowl, nearly knocking it over, "Dark..." She quickly examined her magic. It was bruised-- bits of it were a darker pink than usual, "Very evil..." She stopped banging at her bowl, for which her father and brother breathed a brief sigh of relief together thankfully, "I wonder what it is..." 

(Sherry: That was a REALLY long sentence...) 

She stood up abruptly, tossing her spoon into her bowl. I'm full," she announced, "I'm going to leave for school." 

She stuffed her feet in her shiny black shoes and ran out the door. 

"Bye!" Touya said, much too late for her to hear. Fujitaka was heard chuckling softly. 

"Honestly," Touya muttered to Fujitaka as he stuffed his lunch into his backpack, "I know her magic is highly advanced... but..." He shook his head empathetically. This was too much for him and his pride. 

"If it was anyone else," Fujitaka smiled warmly, "I'd worry," he said quietly, "but as long as it's Sakura, there will be no problem." 

"Ja ne, Otou-san," Touya smiled. 

"Ja ne," Fujitaka answered, "My son..." and he turned to stare at the picture of Nadeshiko. 

He had a feeling something unusual was about to happen. 

~~ ~~~

"Morning," Sakura muttered absently to Rika, who was rather disappointed as well as confused at this unenthusiastic reply to her rather cheery greeting. 

"Good morning Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo smiled softly, out there was a hint of worry in her blue-violet eyes. 

Sakura finally snapped out of her day-nightmare and smiled, "Good morning, Tomoyo-chan." 

"Is something worrying you?" Tomoyo asked, concerned, as well as staring at Syaoran, beckoning him to ask as well. 

"I hope no new powers broke out," he muttered, "We finally have some peace..." He scowled at the though of being disturbed again. 

"Nothing's bothering me," Sakura decided not to worry them. She was the Cards Mistress. 

And she would solve this problem on her own. 

~~ ~~~

Syaoran stared at the back of Sakura's head. But Sakura had shielded her mind. She rarely shielded her mind, since she loves and trust him. 

But it was different this time-- there was something on her mind she didn't want him to know. What was wrong? Something bothered her, and she didn't want to tell him. That hurt. After all they'd been through together... 

He snapped out of his day dream and into reality just in time to hear the sensei dismiss them. He hoped the sensei didn't notice. But... 

"Li Syaoran," he said presently, "A moment," so the sensei did notice.... 

Syaoran groaned. He hadn't meant to drift off like that. 

"Sakura-chan is hiding something from you, Li-kun," Tomoyo demanded, "Do you have any idea what it is? 

Syaoran frowned, "No, I can't believe she shielded her mind from me like that." 

"Don't worry, Li-kun," Tomoyo comforted, "she has her own reasons for doing so, and I'm sure she'll tell you soon." 

"Yeah," Syaoran managed to squeeze out a smile, something he rarely did, "I'm sure she will." 

~~~~~

Deep in the secrecy of her room, Sakura meditated. She searched her magic for traces of the evil energy, hoping to find a trace that would lead her to some answers to questions she had, and found none. 

Someone rapped at the window. It was Kero-chan. 

_ I can't afford to break off my meditation now!_

She raised her left hand while keeping her right hand on her pool of magic, steadying its energy. Drawing out a small portion of what power she could, she began shielding her room. 

Kero-chan saw what she tried to do, and stopped her while heavily shielding the room with his own energy. Sakura nodded her appreciation and concentrated on her work again. 

~~ ~~~

Yukito opened his door. 

"Hm?" Was he seeing correctly? A... golden... stuffed animal flying.. wings.. Yuki was very confused indeed. 

"Please return to your true form, Yue," Kero stared at Yuki intently as snow white wings covered him. 

~~ ~~~

Beads of sweat dripped down Sakura's forehead. She felt a faint red power somewhere. The problem was where. Its creator didn't shield its existence, but shielded its location. 

She tried to find further clues to the power's location, to no avail. The power was easily detected, but she was baffled by its location. 

Then she saw a dark light with her magical eyes (inner eyes, etc). It was identical to the one in her dream. Shielding her magic first, she used her pink magic to reach towards that light. 

_Just... a little bit ... closer... _She bit her lips and beckoned her magic to move on. 

Suddenly, her shield was no more. The intense heat burned her. 

This time, it hurt even to move. She fainted. 

~~ ~~~

Syaoran banged on her window, "Damn! It's shielded!" 

A few minutes ago he felt a big felt in his magic-- something had happened to Sakura. 

He reached out with his own green magic. It was a combination of Ceberus' and Yue's magic. That means that, although his powers were stronger that Cerberus', and his powers were stronger than Yue's, Yue's and Ceberus' powers _combined_ was more powerful than his alone. 

He tried to bust the shield with his magic anyways. It didn't work. 

"Hey Kid-Priest!" Ceberus and Yue were flying towards, "What'cha doing here?" 

"TAKE OFF THIS DAMN SHIELDING SPELL!" 

Ceberus snorted, "What do you think we came to do?" 

In just a few seconds, the shield was gone and Syaoran was tending to Sakura, who was still unconscious. 

He examined her and found out that although she had received no physical damage, her physical and magical energy was drained out, and her magic was damaged. He thanked his ancestors that it wasn't permanent and shoved some of his magic into her. Her pink magic mixed with the green and turned brown where it was damaged. 

"Won't her magic reject yours?" Ceberus asked with superiority, apparently annoyed. 

Syaoran found the time and energy to glare at Ceberus briefly, "No." 

Ceberus glared back, "Hmph." But he let Syaoran work. 

The forest green magic of Syoaran slowly blended in with the pink, and became Sakura's own pink magic. 

~~ ~~~

"But..." Tomoyo bit her lip, "but.. will Sakura-chan be alright?" 

"Yes," Syaoran hoped so, "she, er... just needs a few days' rest from school. That's all." 

"Okay..." 

"I'm going to visit her today," Syaoran said thoughtfully, "why don't you come along?" 

Tomoyo thought for a minute, "Are you sure you want me to come along?" _Maybe Sakura-chan would want to be alone with Li-kun._

"Sakura would want you to come," Syaoran smiled; it was obvious what was going on in Tomoyo's mind (that is a rare luxury for Syaoran, who can never seem to penetrate anyone's mind). 

"Really?" Tomoyo's eyes were ridiculously starry and hopeful. 

"Really," Syaoran reassured. 

~~ ~~~

"Li-kun!" Takashi called out, "Rika, Chiharu and I are going to that new shop..." 

"A really nice one!" Rika smiled. 

"I heard the Chinese tapioca is really good!" Chiharu taunted. Everyone knew Syaoran missed the delicious tapioca back in Hong Kong. 

"No," Syaoran smiled, "I'm going to visit Sakura with Tomoyo today." 

"Oh," Chiharu nudged Rika with her elbow, and whispered," We all know that tapioca, chocolate, and dim sum put together couldn't beat Sakura-chan!" And the girls broke into hopeless giggles. 

Syaoran, of course, was very red by now, and stuttered something inaudible. 

"That reminds me," Yamazaki smiled, Syaoran thought that smile was suspiciously familiar... as if... as if... 

"Girls, quiet down," Takashi continued, "Tapioca started when a man in the United States from China though that rice and marinated vegetables were too dull...." 

"Lies, Takashi! Lies!" Chiharu dragged him off by his ear. 

"But is it true?" Syaoran asked, confused. 

Tomoyo shrugged, "Probably not." 

~~ ~~~

_Ding Dong!_ The doorbell rang cheerfully. 

"Coming!" Touya walked to the door, annoyed that he was interrupted from his studies. 

He opened the door, "It's The Brat," he half-said to himself. 

Briefly, he and Syaoran had a glaring contest (Syaoran won), but he let Syaoran and Tomoyo in. 

"Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo exclaimed, rushing to sit by Sakura-chan's side on her bed, "You look so pale!" 

"Oww!" 

"Huh?" Tomoyo wore a very confused expression/ sweat drop. 

"Mmph Hmpph mm mmn!" 

Tomoyo gingerly lifted herself from the comforter (a pink cherry blossom pattern), and then lifted the comforter. 

"You sat on me!" a very swirly-eyed Kero-chan repeated indignantly. 

"Gomen..." a very big sweat drop slid down the side of her head. 

"Ahem!" Syaoran coughed, breaking an awkward silence, "Are you feeling better, Sakura?" 

"Yes," Sakura did look pale, "But I had another dream last night..." 

"And?" 

"And he left me this..." she held up a thin silver chain with a beautiful clear crystal pendant. 

"He?" Syaoran frowned. 

"Clow-san." 

-------------------------------------------------- 

Author's Notes: Hi!! I'm so very, terribly, horribly, sorry that I haven't written for ever so long! But here is a nice, new, long fanfic just for you! The entire inspiration for this new series came from the name of a street I was in-line skating on. IT expanded from a piece we're playing in Pasadena Youth Symphony (it'll be mentioned in later chapters) and Wish's fanfic (www.geocities.com/wishluv) 

So I give thanks to Mr. Meyers (conductor of PYSO) and Sarah (Wish). 

Also, umm... thanks to... some guy from school for editing this for me... 

(Sherry, typing away... : Aww! No thanks to me for typing it out??? I'm HURT! ... =D... Not REALLY...)


	2. Crescent Lake

_Star ~ Chapter 2 ~ Crescent Lake_

Notes: This happens after the manga ends. Sakura and Syaoran are fourteen in this fic...

--------------------------------------------------

Sakura fingered the crystal pendant that hung on the silver chain around her neck. What did Clow-san mean?

"Fate itself rests in your hands," she can still hear the voice ringing in her ear. What had it meant?

Syaoran and Tomoyo-chan had left, leaving her with worries. Syaoran had insisted that she told him everything, but he could not understand what it meant, either.

The phone rang. Although Sakura knew Touya would get it, something made her pick it up.

"We haven't talked for a while, Sakura," the familiar deep voice of Eriol said, "Did anything interesting happen?"

Exactly HOW does Eriol manage to call exactly when she needed him, she'll never find out.

"Yes..." and she explained everything.

Eriol frowned, "Yes... that... I do recall something..."

"What exactly did Clow-san _you_ mean?

"I don't know. Clow didn't know," he said, "it was something he never found out."

"B-but..."

"I'll be coming to Japan to assist you," Eriol said abruptly, "this is very serious."

Sakura frowned, "It is? ... but... I don't understand..."

"You will..." Eriol's voice was a deadly quiet sound, "in your own time..."

~~ ~~~

"Eriol's coming back?" Syaoran frowned, "We can deal with it on our own."

"Everyone needs a little help now an then," a pleasant, familiar voice said.

"Mitsuki- sensei!" Sakura gasped in delight.

Kaho turned to the class, "Your English teacher was diagnosed with Leukemia. I will be your English teacher until she at least achieves remission."

Sakura squealed in delight. Tomoyo smiled at the sight of Syaoran's scowl.

(Sherry, typing as usual: Gomen-nasai for disturbing your reading, dear fanfic readers... But I would just like to say that I find it very peculiar that Sakura and Tomoyo would be HAPPY and SMILING when they found out that their TEACHER had CANCER... Shouldn't they be at least a little UPSET, or CONCERNED? ... This reminds of this one... But, then again, this IS Amy's fanfic... I shall then proceed to finish typing this even LONGER chapter up... ::Sigh:: ...)

"Now, open your English grammar book to page 102. I understand that you've begun diagramming prepositional phrases..."

"Awww..." the entire class groaned.

"Do the exercises number 1- 30, please, and hand them in tomorrow..."

"Oh darn!" Sakura groaned," Thirty!"

"You're talking," Syaoran said sullenly," it's English as THIRD language for me!"

Sakura sighed and began diagramming her first sentence.

~~ ~~~

"Are you glad to be back in Japan, Eriol?" Nakuru looked out the small window as the airplane gracefully glided over the Japanese border.

Eriol smiled softly, but mysteriously, "Yes," he said quietly, "But accomplishing what I'm here to do will not be easy."

"It wasn't easy last time," Nakuru reminded him.

"No," Eriol finally said after a long pause, "it wasn't."

"You had to give Sakura's father part of your magic."

"Yes," Eriol's eyes glistened as he recalled those old memories, "But it was meant to be..."

"Do you know what is going to happen to now?"

A long pause, "... No." his voice was low and deadly, "I don't..."

Nakuru frowned and kept silent.

"... but... as long as it's Sakura... it'll be no problem," he stood up, "come on, we're getting off."

Nakuru looked in her bag to make sure Spinel Sun was still alive, and followed her master.

~~ ~~~

Sakura looked startled, as did Syaoran.

"This power..." she breathed.

"It's..." Syaoran frowned.

"Eriol-kun!" she made a run for Eriol's house.

Syaoran sighed and followed as Tomoyo followed Sakura, video camera on.

~~ ~~~

_Ding Dong... Ding Dong..._ Eriol's ancient doorbell rang gravely.

"Ah..." Eriol adjusted his shirt collar, "Sakura-san, Tomoyo-san, and Xia Lang... just on time," he waited in the sitting room patiently as Nakuru went to get the door.

"They're here already?" Suppi landed softly on the back of Eriol's seat.

"Yes..." Eriol's face was much too serious for a teenager, "here already..."

"Theey're heere!" Nakuru led the guest in, bouncing with joy. 

Everyone eventually settled down. All attention was on Eriol. But he made no sound.

"Well?!" Syaoran asked impatiently, "Talk!"

"I've seen a vision," Eriol finally began, "but I do not see what the conclusion of events will be," he continued quietly. It was almost as if he was tired, "Perhaps it's been shielded," he sighed," and perhaps it's just because I don't have all my magic."

"But, how can you shield the sight of the future?" Syaoran protested.

"And you should still have enough magic to see conclusions," Sakura was puzzled.

"Only..." Eriol frowned, "only the most powerful magic can shield future. It is, however, usually very easy, for people of my powers to penetrate these shields. Time itself is a magic that hides the future."

"And yet even minor fortune tellers can see the future," Sakura pondered.

"Then..." Syaoran hated what was beginning to make sense, "Damn!"

"Damn, indeed," Eriol smiled for the first time since he came back to Japan, "We have a very powerful new force out there."

"Is there nothing we can do?" Sakura fingered her crystal necklace.

"Let me see that," Eriol looked mildly interested, "It has great magic. Who, but you two, nowadays, could make this? Why did you make it?"

Sakura frowned, "Clow-san did, in my dreams," she said as Eriol studied the necklace.

"Clow?" Eriol frowned, "strange..." he tried to recall Clow's memories, "I certainly don't remember making it."

Syaoran frowned, "You don't?"

Eriol was silent, "It seems like you two have a quest to make."

"Hoe?!"

"I have never told you where magic itself originated from," Eriol said thoughtfully.

"I've been taught all our elders know," Syaoran muttered. "There is another realm, which consist entirely of areas that revolved around one single central mass of magic."

"Exactly," Eriol picked up Sakura's set of cards, and they began to melt. He shoved the shiny pink mass of magic into the crystal.

"W-what are you doing?" Syaoran yelled.

"Central magic," Eriol said, "You've never studied it?"

"O-oh!" Syaoran finally realized that Eriol was putting all of the cards' own magic into the focus of the crystal.

"I think," Eriol explained, "that Clow gave you this, Sakura-san," he muttered, "to let you collect even more magic."

"I see," Syaoran then proceeded to explain to Sakura, "Every sorcerer is born with a certain amount of magic. You have a lot, which is why you were able to open the Clow Book in the first place."

"Yes," Eriol continued, "and the Clow Cards-- Sakura Cards-- are external magic, as you were born with internal magic. Your magic never increased--- just the external magic."

"You can use the cards," Syaoran started, "But they have no direct connection with your own magic."

"I've noticed," Eriol fingered the necklace, then gave it back to Sakura, "that although your crystal collects external magic, it will give you internal magic while, and only while, you perform the spell you're using the crystal form."

"Oh..." Sakura sighed. This was all so complicated.

"I see..." Syaoran was too damn smart, "In that case," he said thoughtfully, "I would think it'd be best for you not to use your internal magic unless you have to, since it's pat of your life source."

"It doesn't really matter," Eriol added, "since whenever you call upon magic, your body will draw whatever is needed from your external magic source."

"So..." Sakura tried to absorb all this information, "all I have to do is to draw magic from me whenever I need it and it'll automatically draw magic from the pendant instead of my internal magic?"

"Umm..." Syaoran sweatdropped at the simplicity of the way she put it, "Yes... that's basically it."

"Ahem," Eriol _____ (Sherry: Can't... read... word... pencil... smudged... ucky... strain... strain... pen is better... Would like to see YOU try to read this...), "We don't have much time. Recite this spell, and it'll take you to the source of crescent magic-- you two will have to find and get to the central magic to collect it."

"What?!" Syaoran demanded, "Why?"

"Because you must find enough power before the new evil comes," Eriol closed his eyes ceremoniously, "Repeat after me... 'Source of all magic, in this time of evil, grant us passage through your realms, under the contract that binds all sorcerers, we, Sakura and Syaoran, ask this of you!"

As the world began to fade, they heard Eriol say, "You must recite your own spell to come back!

~~ ~~~

Sakura and Syaoran found themselves on the edge of a beautiful Lake, seemingly at night. The middle of the round lake was marked by a small island with something they couldn't recognize on it.

"Damn that Eriol," Syaoran muttered.

"What do we do?" Sakura looked around. The faint moonlight lit the small lake.

The lake was surrounded by eerie woods. The trees swayed to and fro, softly glowing with a white magic. _Moon magic_, Syaoran thought. The sand under their feet was strangely soft. They were white, almost enamel. Syaoran sensed-- amazed-- magic in literally all the objects around them: --the trees, the sand, the lake-- even the air!

The water was clear, and it was possible to see the white sand bottom. 

Syaoran sent a bit of his magic and touched the water. The magic bounced back, unable to penetrate the water. It caused a small ripple on the clear liquid surface. (Sherry: Amy, is it okay that I reworded that... "water" was getting to me..)

"We'll have to float over," he muttered, "my wind spell won't carry us for long enough to go there."

"Hoe? Where?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes in exasperation, and pointed towards the island, which-- Sakura noticed-- had a pillar of soft light above it, "There. I reckon it's where Hiragizawa wants us to go," he scowled.

"B-but ~ I don't know how!"

"Will- us up!"

"_Will_?"

"Think! Imagine us floating across! If you want it to happen bad enough, your magic will make it happen! It's how magic works-- will it to happen just like how you sent strips of your magic out."

Sakura closed her eyes, and willed. She felt them floating across the lake and landing softly on the island. The center of the island shot the pillar of light that they saw straight into the sky.

Suddenly, the pillar sent out a strip of light to Sakura, touching her crystal necklace. A light shaped like the crescent of the moon shined softly for a moment, then faded. Sakura felt a surge of power.

Somehow, the light seemed hesitant, then touched Syaoran's jade pendant (with held his sword) as well. The pillar of light disappeared immediately after that.

"Well," Syaoran shrugged, "D'you think we have enough power to apparate?"

"... I don't know," they tried. And the place faded away, and they were in Sakura's room.

"Damn that Eriol," Syaoran muttered.

Sakura stared.

"Screw him," he replied.

--------------------------------------------------

Author's Notes: 

::Sigh:: How'd you like it? I'm gonna be really busy for a while because, um, I've gone Van+Hitomi-crazy (Escaflowne), and I'll be doing both CCS + Escaflowne fics for a long while... I hope you liked this fanfic. I'd love to hear from you all ~~~ if I don't get mail, I won't continue. It's horrible not knowing whether people like this or not, kay? Just e-mail me at fujiirohitomi@magicgirl.com. 

Amy, 4/06/01, 1:45pm 

(Sherry: Oh, well, since you're still here... I'll begin my mutterings... First of all... That was a really long chapter... and my hands are frozen from typing for about two hours(?)... And my eyes are strained from trying to make out these words... But otherwise... I'm just confused.. Wait a minute... When did that crystal pop up? Did that show up in the previous chapter? @_@ ... I don't remember... And I typed it up too.. Well, I'm going to go now and work on my collective... Ta-ta...)


	3. Emerald Pool Part 1

Star ~ Chapter 3 ~ Emerald Pool Part 1

Sakura lay in bed, deep into the darkness of the gloomy night, fingering the small pendant that held her newfound power. She sighed softly and wistfully wondered what all of this meant. What great evil, exactly, is supposedly about to rise? It was all unknown to her, and probably to everyone she knew. She sighed again, pondering the same thing she's been wondering about for the past seven hours-- what now?

She now has more power, for sure. She could feel the tingling sensation in the crystal. Strangely, it was her. It did not feel like the foreign Clow Cards-- they were not her type of magic. This felt so much like her own powers. So similar. She shook her head. She will probably figure out what evil this is sooner or later, but there's a good chance she'll never figure out the secrets of this unearthly magic.

It felt strange. This magic made her feel strangely connected to "the other world." The tingling feeling reminded her, somehow, of the pearly white sand that was literally spilling magic. It was like she can still feel the magic under her feet.

Sakura sighed and went to sleep. The matter can wait-- there was school tomorrow and she needed sleep. 

As she fell soundly asleep, and as her rhythmic breathing began, clouds moved and blocked the beautiful starlight. Her crystal pendant was the only light seen in the room as it softly glowed, granting Sakura sweet peaceful dreams-- something she hasn't enjoyed for a long time.

~~~~~

Syaoran took a break from his late-night sword practice session. He had gotten up from his late-night toss-and-turning, annoyed at the fact that, even with his knowledge and brilliance (::laugh:: he's sooo self-loving ^^), he found no answer to all this. With that thought, he had settled into a nice sword practice session to calm himself down.

He had begun with a quick warm-up, then gradually practiced more complex moves and tricks. He took out the most prized heirloom of the Li family (next to his sword) -- the sword book. He stared at the last section of it. He had mastered the previous three sections of it, but could not understand this.

It was in Chinese, but worded so strangely he couldn't understand it. The elders had warned that the book was in ancient Chinese, but he thought he had mastered ancient Chinese--after all, he understood the first three sections.

He stared at the first few lines: "With motion, combine stillness. With the fast, combine slowness. With magic, combine humanity. With solid simple movements, combine complex..." he scanned the rest of the old, faded page. There was more. It didn't make sense.

He sighed and shut off the light, ready to turn in. The though of "mix west with east" still in his mind.

~~~~~

Eriol, Nakuru, Kaho, and Spinel Sun talked deep into the night.

"Soooo," Nakuru was always cheerful, even if the situation was dead serious, "Sakura-chan managed to get the crescent magic. Noooow what?!"

Eriol was silent.

"What I don't understand," Spinel said, "is the fact that the Li kid got new crescent magic as well."

"Perhaps," Kaho mused thoughtfully, "the source of the magic sensed that they'll be needing magic like such. A lot of it."

"I don't know," Eriol said slowly, "Perhaps."

"What of the sword magic?" Spinel asked.

"I just hope they realize it," Eriol sighed, "and soon..." he paused, then stood, "Let's go to sleep now."

~~~~~

Sakura skated slightly ahead of Tomoyo, laughing. It wasn't a real laugh, but (as Sherry always says) it was close enough.

Of course her laugh ceased once she remembered that she forgot to study for her geometry test.

"Hoeee!"

~~~~~

Syaoran, sensing a power lurking, followed Sakura and Daidouji-san at a distance. Something was happening, and he hated the fact that he didn't know exactly what, how, or, why.

He walked right past Tomoeda Elementary AND his own junior high school, too busy thinking to notice he was supposed to go to school.

~~~~~

Syaoran rushed into the hall and fumbled with his locker combination. When it didn't open (he was in too much of a hurry to make himself turn the lock accurately), he made himself calm down.

When he had regained his combination (he didn't remember it correctly... ::laugh::) and composure, he quietly sneaked into his classroom (1st period was foreign language, English, in room 311). It didn't work.

"Tsk tsk tsk," the teacher was mercilessly loud, "Li Syaoran! This is the third time this semester! One more tardy and it's a letter home. Sit down. We're on exercises 1-80 in your grammar book."

Syaoran sweat dropped. There was absolutely no point in hoping his parents would, um, get the letter. No one but he lived there.

"Syaoran!" the sensei bared, "Don't stand there like an idiot! Go do those exercises!" Eriol smiled.

Sakura walked alongside Tomoyo and Syaoran blissfully.

"Say," Tomoyo began wickedly, "We haven't had a tea parry for a loonng time, haven't we?"

Syaoran froze at the though of a tea party. The last time they had a tea party...

He shivered.

"Oh dear," Sakura mused, "we haven't..."

"Yes..." Tomoyo smiled. Syaoran was oh-so-suddenly reminded of Eriol's evil mater-mind smile. "We should have one~! Tomorrow's Sunday! Why don't you two, Kero-chan, Eriol-kun, Nakuru-san, and Spinel Sun come to my house then at noon?" She giggled excitedly with extra-starry eyes, "We'll have such a jolly time! Of course I won't forget to change the batteries of my video camera! Oh ho ho ho ho ho h o ho ho ho...!"

Sakura's eyes lit up, "To think! A tea party! I'll bring some of that cake Otou-san is going to make today!"

"If the stuffed animal doesn't eat it all," Syaoran muttered.

"Oh ho ho ho ho..." Tomoyo giggled, "he has a point..."

"Why does Hiragizawa have to com?" Syaoran grumbled.

"Because," more wicked laughter, "we can talk about this unknown magic," Tomoyo's eyes lit up, "you'll come, right?"

"I guess..." Syaoran resented.

"I just hope," Sakura sighed worriedly," that I did okay on that geometry test..."

"I'm home~!" Sakura shouted. No one answered. She heard a distant sound that sounded suspiciously like a video game. "I guess Kero-chan's too absorbed in his new game to hear me... Stupid Final Fantasy X."

She tossed her backpack aside and marched into the kitchen.

She sighed. She'll have to make the cake herself.

Syaoran hung his backpack on a hook on the wall, *A tea party eh? What a nice excuse for Eriol to torture me some more.*

Stepping into the kitchen, he began gathering things to brew some of that niice oolong tea Fuutie sent him. He'll take that Japanese tea.

But at home, he'll have the traditional Chinese tea in that beautiful Chinese tea set.

He began to pour boiling water over the pot.

Eriol sipped his English tea (with Nakuru's special blend of white sugar and honey) and frowned. The Japanese (with on offense) couldn't make traditional English tea well.

"Tea party..." Nakuru muttered, "I know~!! I'll make cookies~!"

Suppi shook its head, "Will anything happen today?"

"I have a feeling," Eriol muttered after a long pause, "that the legendary evil is trying to capture a power..." he sighed, then added, "I wonder which source of power it is trying to get..."

"I suppose we'll find out soon," Kaho added sugar to her tea.

"NANI?" Kero-chan's eyes turned slightly larger than their usual size. He had followed the smell of baking cake in to the kitchen, "A tea party?!" tiny sparkly eyes, "You'll let me come, riiiight?"

"Of course, Kero-chan!"

Tomoyo dialed Eriol's number.

Briiiiing....

She waited.

Briiiiiiiiing!

She waited.

Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!

The phone clicked, and Nakuru's energetic squeal filled Tomoyo's ears, "Mooshi moshiii! Hiiraagizaawaaa residence hoow may IIII help yooouu?"

"Moshi moshi!" Tomoyo matched (in a somewhat creepy way) Nakuru's energy somehow, "may I talk to Hiragizawa-kun?"

"Tooomooyooo-chan! How are you? It's so goood to hear from you! Of COURSE you may talk to him. OOOHHHH ERIOL!"

Tomoyo held the phone away from her poor sensitive ear for a second.

Shuffle shuffle "It's Tomoyo-chan on the phone for you!" more shuffle.

"Ahem! Hello--Daidouji-san," cam Eriol's deep voice (Amy: His voice kinda scares me), "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Uh.. Yes," Tomoyo said (Sherry: Caaaan't read wooord... adverb...), "I'm holding a tea party tomorrow at noon for everyone who knows about the magic events..."

"Ah, yes," Eriol said politely, "I have hear from Na--"

"OH ERIOL!" someone yelled, "Mail~~~~!"

"Excuse me a second Tomoyo-san," he said in his English accent.

"..." Tomoyo said articulately, "...sure," somewhat uncertainly.

After a wait that seemed like hours (it was 20 seconds), Eriol came back. Tomoyo informed him of the party, and Eriol muttered something about never wanting to miss out on an opportunity to torture ("I mean HANG OUT!") with his beloved/cute relative.

Author's Notes:

Haallo! I hope ya'll appreciate this chapter cos it took me a summer ta write it -_-. Sorry I've been busy 'specially now that school started. Aaanyhoo. Email me at fujiirohitomi@magicgirl.com if ya feel like it. You can AIM me at vansmanomiko is ya want to. Just mention you got that from my site or I'll think you're another stalker and war/block you.

~Amichan

8:26AM 9-4-01

Sherry's Babbling:

Oooy... It took me a while to type out that fanfic, ne? ^-^''' Well, I've been busy (like everyone else). Hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'm sorry if there's any typos! (I've a problem with them...)

~Sherry

7:58PM - October 2nd, 2001


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